Fastening device



All@ 11, 1959 w. A. BEDFORD, JR 2,898,653

FASTENING DEVICE Filed Dec. 19, 1955 3| I NVENTOR: se l Www/m A. BEDFORDJPL,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O FASTENING DEVICE Application December 19, 1955,Serial No. 553,862

f Claims. (Cl. 24-73) 1 This invention relates to a spring clipsecuringa member-within a channel and against one of the ilanges' of thechannel. The object is to, provide a device of this nature, simple andeconomical to manufacture, which holds securely and may be insertedeasily after the member is positioned, and one which after suchinsertion permits the member to be withdrawn and re-inserted withoutdamage to it or to the fastener. The fastener has a particularapplication of securing the so-called breaker strip which Ibridges thespace between the inner and outer casings of a refrigerator, and foryconvenience I have herein illustrated such an application.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal section through a jamb portion of arefrigerator showing the breaker strip. 'Dhe cooperating door is shownin plan;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the channel which in Fig. 1 isappurtenant to the outer casing of the refrigerator, the ybreaker stripand the clip securing the same;

Fi-g. 3 is a side view of the clip before insertion;

Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof; and

Fig. 5 shows the clip inserted in an empty channel prior to theintroduction of the breaker strip.

Referring now to Fig. 1, I there show a section of the refrigeratoradjacent the jamb showing an outer casing comparable in form to anopen-topped box standing on one of its sides within which is suspendedan inner casing 12 the spaces `between the casings receiving insulation14. To close the space between the open, lforwardly facing sides of thetwo casings it is customary to use a so-called breaker strip 16 ywhichmay .be a complete rectangular frame molded to a suitable Icontour `fromplastic, and attached to opposed edge portions of the walls of the twocasings respectively. The door 18 of the refrigerator closes against theinturned margin 2i) of the exterior casing 10, and this may be turnedover as seen in Fig. 2 to provide an inwardly facing channel 22 intowhich leg 24 of the breaker strip 16 is inserted, while the other leg 26of the breaker strip may'overlie an outwardly turned liange 28 at themargin of the inner box 12 and be secured thereto by clips 30 of anysuitable form. The clip of the invention is designed to secure theIbreaker strip within the channel 22 and hold the ltorward leg 24 of thebreaker strip against the front lwall of the channel.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the clip -comprises a narrow strip ofspring metal bowed centrally at its middle portion to provide an arcuateportion 31, adapted to be seated in the angle between the flange and thelweb of the channel 22 and to bear along spaced lines about the curve onsaid Aiiange and web respectively, as seen in Figs. 5 and 2. Oneextremity of this cylindrical portion merges into a straight arm 32,having terminal teeth 34 (see Fig. 4), this arm being of such lengthrelatively to the channel that when the cylindrical portion is insertedthe arm may be pushed down and will be jammed against the opposed flangeof the channel at a llow angle, the teeth 34 `gripping the wall of thechannel and eiiectually resisting the withdrawal of the clip except byexcessive lce 2 force. The curvature of the portion 32 permits the arm36 of the clip at the other end thereof to be bent forwardly to form aconvexed and unitarily supported Igripping jaw facing the iirst flangeof the channel to grip the member inserted between the same. This arm36y of the clip is preferably of such length as to extend above thechannel providing a bearing portion by pressure on which this spring jawmember may be bent inwardly to provide space for the insertion of thechannel. The rolled up or cylindrical central portion of the clipprovides spring tension.

The clips may be insertedin the channel whether the channel is empty orwhether a memberl isin position against a ange thereof by mere lingerpressure. It wil-l be noted that in the example shown the fastening forthe other end of the Vbreaker strip would not be accessible Ifrom theyfront if the breaker strip were already secured to the outer casing 10.Therefore in this particular` use the clips are inserted in the empty`channel and the *leg 24 of the breaker strip then pushed in with adeiiecting pressure exerted on the extreme end of the spring arm,permitting the portion 24 of the breaker strip to be slid into position.While it is held rmly no great force is required to insert it, and thereis no danger of tearing the breaker strip.

The strips as `described may be narrow strips of uniform width, cut oneafter another from a long piece of stock without waste. The lfull springof the metal is utilized. little or no effect on the strut arm 32, but`generally speaking tends to roll it down into the channel. When repairson the refrigerator of one kind or another require removal of thebreaker strip the leg 24 is easily ldrawn out without j tearing or unduedistortion of the strip as a whole. The action of the parts is such thatthe strip or a replacement therefor can be reinserted Without removal ofthe clips. Ordinarily the clips would not be withdrawn from the -channelas such or, if they were, would be replaced by new ones.

I claim:

1. A spring clip for securing a member against the inside face of a-nouter margin wall of a U-s-haped channel member of a predeterminedwidth, said channel member having an inner wall and a web portionconnecting sai-d inner 'wall to said outer margin wall, comprising astrip of spring metal having an arcuate middle portion for engagementwith substantially the juncture of said web and said outer margin wall,a first arm member of a normal length greater than the height of the webof the channel member integrally secured at one end to one end of thearcuate portion, the free endof the first arm member being provided withteeth to engage the inner wall whereby the first arm member lwill be inpressing inclined relationship with respect to the inner wall when theclip is inserted in the channel member, and a second arm member normallybiased away from the rst arm member and secured at'one end to theopposite end of said arcuate portion at a point offset above the planeof the margin wall when the-clip in inserted in the channel member, saidsecond arm member extending in outwardly deolined relationship withrespect to the point of jointure of said arcuate portion to engage theouter margin wall when the clip is inserted in the channel member,whereby the second arm portion will `form a gripping jaw in conjunctionwith the inner surface of the margin wall to tightly hold a memberinserted therebetween with a major portion of said second arm insubstantially surface contact with the inserted member.

2. A clip as set forth in claim 1 which is of substantially uniformwidth.

3. A fastening construction comprising a frame having an edge portionthereof forming a U-shaped channel Inward springing of the holding arm36 has member having an inner wall and an outer margin wall connected toone another by a web portion, said margin wall being of a longitudinallength less than that of said innerr wall, a spring metal clippositioned within said channel member, said clip having an arcuatemiddle portion which is in engagement with substantially the juncture ofsaid web and said margin wall, a irst arm member of a normal Vlengthlgreater than the `depth of the channel member integrally secured at oneend to one end of said arcuate portion, said rst arm member being inpressing inclined relationship with respect to said inner wall with theterminal end thereof provided with teeth to tightly jam against andengage said inner wall, and a second arm member normally biased awayfrom the rst arm member and secured at one end to the opposite end ofsaid arcuate portion at a point offset above the plane of said marginwall and extending in `declined relationship with respect to the pointof jointure rwith said arcuate portion to engage the margin Walladjacent its terminal end, the free end portion of said second armextending beyond the terminal end of said margin wall, said second armportion forming a gripping jaw in conjunction with the inner surfaces ofsaid margin wall to tightly hold a member inserted therebetween with amajor portion of said second arm member being in substantially surfacecontact with the inserted member.

L A construction in accordance with claim 3 wherein a member ispositioned in tight engagement between said second arm member and saidmargin walls.

5. A construction in accordance with claim 3 wherein the free endportion of the second arm member is provided with a convexed, yieldablysupported gripping jaw facing the outer margin wall to grip the memberinserted therebetween.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FranceApr. 29, 1941

